Ursula Callistis

Ursula Callistis, born Chariot du Nord and also known by the stage name Shiny Chariot, is a main character in Little Witch Academia. She is the Magic Astrology teacher at Luna Nova Magical Academy and the mentor (and idol) of the young witch Atsuko Kagari. Ursula is an adult woman with back-length dark blue hair tied with what appears to be bandages just before the end, forming a small ponytail over her right shoulder. She has red eyes with white pupils and fair skin complexion. She wears the default uniform of Luna Nova's staff: a dark violet hooded dress reaching up to her knees with long wide sleeves, a red flame-like design in the bottom, a single brown strap on the chest area, and the dress' inside is colored a deep red; a black choker; a dark violet witch hat with a dark blue band decorated with a red feather and a golden crescent-shaped object; dark blue knee-high boots with a deep dip and red tips; and black-framed oval glasses which usually obscure her eyes due to reflecting light, making their resemblance to Chariot's less obvious. She does not actually need her glasses, as first shown in "Blue Moon". She is notably younger than the other teachers and this shows in her appearance. This is not lost on them, as in "New Age Magic" they relegate to her the exhausting task of acquiring extra magical energy for the school, prompting Ursula to remark that "being young is suffering". As Chariot, her hair was shorter and had a red tone similar to her eyes. Her hair was parted to the middle so as not to fall over her eyes, but part of it fell between her right eye. She also had bangs framing the sides of her face and curving in, with neck-length hair curving out on the back of her head. In her costume as Shiny Chariot, she wore a white stylized tailcoat vest with long sleeves secured by four blue buttons holding everything together which doesn't cover her armpits, clavicles, cleavage, and navel, giving it a similar appearance to a corset or vest; a blue skirt; a brown body-belt with a golden ring-shaped buckle; blue thigh-high stockings (which appear to be folded over themselves); white boots with a diamond-like shape in the tip, two parallel buttons right under it, along with a red tip and heels; a white witch hat with a blue hatband and a red-and-blue diamond/spade-like symbol with a golden four-pointed star in the middle; and also a red cape with a brown strap and golden buttons. Ursula's true appearance is first seen in "Chariot of Fire", later in "Chariot and Croix", and from the end of "Yesterday" to "Tree of Leaves". Without her hat and hair-tie, her red hair falls in the same way as it did before she became a teacher, though it has grown longer. Without glasses, her eyes are unobscured. This "transformation" occurs when she is in or preparing for magical combat, and she also takes the skirt off of her uniform to make it easier for her to fight. With her uniform modified as such it resembles a black body suit with similar patterns to those on her skirt, and with her shoulders and cleavage visible. After Akko and her friends destroy the Noir Rod missile and her identity has been revealed, Chariot continues her role as Luna Nova's astronomy teacher and Akko's mentor. She dresses in the same manner as she did as Ursula, including her glasses, but no longer magically disguises her natural red hair. From her early childhood, Chariot sought to become a witch who could make people smile. Her natural charm and radiant personality attracted everyone around her. However, Chariot's passion for magic exceeded her skill, which led to many blunders. Her faithfulness to her belief that magic should be used to make people happy brought her the staff of seven stars, Claiomh Solais, which she nicknamed the Shiny Rod. In her frustrations, she sought out the Fountain of Polaris, which grants the great magic power of the stars onto the witch with a hidden radiance. The Fountain opened for her but did not bestow the power upon her, as she was not yet worthy to wield it. She started to work harder and took her studies more seriously, eventually earning the power of the stars for her determination and dedication. Chariot became a very powerful witch, easily awakening the first six words of Arcturus. She never sought for power for its own sake, wanting nothing but to use her power to benefit others. When she performs, both as a child and as Shiny Chariot, her passion for magic is unmistakable. While there is never a time she does not enjoy what she does, Chariot is highly attuned to the reactions of her audience and is devastated when her magic does not make them smile. This did not become an issue until she became a magic idol and the public's expectations of her grew ever higher. Ultimately it was the pressure to please them which led to her downfall. After this, Chariot left the stage and assumed new identity "Ursula Callistis" where she becomes astronomy teacher of Luna Nova. While never quite losing the spark she had in the past, the decade of becoming humble teacher and shadow of her former self takes its toll on her. Ursula had brief lapses of her self-reflection whenever reminded of her past life as before becoming a teacher, and become hopeless until she met Akko, her fan who brings her hope for redemption (as the young witch came to her life as new bearer of Shiny Rod). Her devotion to the young witch is the greatest illustration of compassion and selflessness, and her guidance also reveals a great wisdom beyond the dreamy idealism of her youth. Moreover, it was the bond between the two (coupled with her discovery of Woodward's role in her fallout with Croix) which led to her discovering what she lacked in her attempt to unlock the Final Word long ago and ultimately, becoming the hero her beloved student saw in her and to do the right thing, more than her own mentor can ever be. Towards the end of the series, Ursula continued to be the teacher of Luna Nova where this time, she embraced her true self by no longer magically altering her hair.